


Bath Night

by BroadwayBelle



Category: Fosse/Verdon (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family, Family Dynamics, Marriage, Routine, Separations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25275901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BroadwayBelle/pseuds/BroadwayBelle
Summary: A snippet that would fit well into the timeline of episode four, 'Glory'.  Gwen struggles with new routines while being seperated from her husband.
Relationships: Bob Fosse/Gwen Verdon
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Bath Night

The Fosse residence on 69th Street, in the heart of Central Park West, settled into what was being defined as the new nightly routine. The Fosse family maid, Diniz was gone for the night after maintaining the household while matriarch Gwen Verdon continued to work diligently on her latest theatrical endeavor, her very first serious role in a straight play. It was one of the many departures that the aging actress was facing in the winter of 1972. The largest shift still rippled through the daily routine, though Gwen and her daughter Nicole were not inclined to bring it up for the pain that it still caused. Gwen and Nicole were two-thirds of the Fosse family, the other third – the patriarch – found himself exiled away from the household after one too many humiliating heartbreaks for Gwen, brought on by his unquenchable ego and desire for the opposite sex. Bob Fosse, acclaimed Broadway director was now adding the title of ‘film director’ to his resume while he lived at the Hyde Park Hotel, on the other side of Central Park.

Gwen was the one to decide that it was time for her husband to leave. They were now separated in every aspect except on paper. The one thing she wasn’t ready to do yet was file for divorce. The separation still fresh in her mind, along with the reason for the dissolution, left her reeling most nights. It was her responsibility to inform her daughter that Daddy wasn’t going to be living with him, though she allowed him the opportunity to explain to a distraught Nicole why there was a change in living arrangements. At age eight, toe-headed Nicole only understood that she wouldn’t be seeing her father every day, but that he was still a phone call away if an emergency arose. 

“The show’s starting!” Nicole yelled from the family den, sitting Indian style in front of the television for the beginning of _The Partridge Family._ Friday nights were TV night for Nicole, who had just finished the latest episode of _The Brady Bunch._

Gwen opened the bedroom door just enough to stick her head out. “I’m taking a bath, Sweetheart,” she reminded her daughter, having rushed through dinner so that she could carve some alone time for herself. After slaving away for the past month with the cast and crew of _Children! Children!_ Gwen had been adamant about getting some ‘me’ time for herself. After endless rehearsals and conversations, the play wasn’t shaping up in the least bit, and now ten days away from opening night. “It’s not even a play anymore, it’s a skit!” she insisted to her husband after one of their many drop-offs with Nicole. She had begged him for help four days ago, with opening night ticking in her mind like a time bomb. He had yet to respond to her plea for just thirty minutes of his time. After everything she had given him over the years: a child, an ear to listen with, a critical eye to appraise his productions, and an ideal dancer’s body to move and teach with, he seemed to be denying her one request, leaving her more frazzled than usual.

“But you said you’d watch it with me!” Nicole insisted, not wanting to be pushed aside.

_And your father said he would be faithful – people break their word all the time,_ Gwen wanted to shout out in desperation but held her tongue. For all of his shortcomings – and there were plenty of shortcomings – Bob Fosse was a devoted father to Nicole in his own way. Nicole was the apple of her father’s eye and he was always willing to show her his admiration. The one thing Gwen wasn’t going to do was taint her daughter’s view of her father – that was her battle to fight and hers alone. “Well why don’t you go ahead and start without me,” she sighed in an effort to end the conversation.

“It’s not fair!”

Gwen clenched her hands into fists. _Nothing in my life is fair right now. I am a single mother who had to beg to audition for a role where she just can’t seem to do anything right in a production that is doomed to fail!_ “Nicole, this is my first night off in a month!” She was now begging for someone, anyone to hear her and for once give her exactly what she wanted.

“But you said you’d watch it with me!”

She was now at the end of her rope and while her blood was boiling, the water for the bubble bath was starting to cool. “Just stop bellowing at me; I’m not spending it watching _The Partridge Family_.” With a slam of the door, Gwen ended the conversation and stripped off her robe, allowing it to carelessly fall to the floor. Opening the door to the master bathroom, Gwen slipped her right leg into the now tepid water. “This seems to be how life is going right now,” she muttered, begrudgingly allowing her body to sink into the water.

Nicole pouted, unable to enjoy the hijinks of David Cassidy and his sitcom family. A distinct knock at the door stole her away from what was becoming a bummer of an episode. Not wanting to incur her mother’s wrath further, Nicole took it upon herself to open the door. “Daddy!” she cried, throwing her arms around her father’s waist. Her night seemed to shape up.

“Hi ya Pickle.” Bob squeezed his daughter tight as he looked around the room. “Where’s your mother?”

“Mommy’s taking a bath,” Nicole explained. “Will you watch _The Partridge Family_ with me?” she asked with hopeful eyes.

Bob Fosse placed a kiss on his daughter’s forehead. “I would love to; let me drop off something for Mommy first.”

Satisfied with his answer, Nicole turned her attention back to the television as Bob walked into the master bedroom. The décor was exactly as he remembered it from last year before he left for a several month-long trip to Munich to film _Cabaret._ Acting from memory, he turned the door to the bathroom.

“Nicole, I just need five more minutes!” Gwen insisted, her back to the door, body still submerged in the water.

Staring at her body in the water, Bob was silent, merely watching, adding details to memories that he held dear.

“I just need a few more minutes!” she insisted, turning her head just enough to see her husband standing over her.

“Take all the time you need,” he assured her.

“Get out!” Gwen screamed, sliding the rest of her body under the water.

“Don’t you want to know why I’m here?” All Bob could hear in reply was a muffled ‘Now!’, sending him back to the living room with Nicole.

Suppressing a chuckle, Bob sat down next to his daughter, cherishing an extra minute alone with her.

“Mommy yelled at you too?” Nicole asked. “She yells a lot,” she added, not waiting for an answer.

At the next commercial, Bob took a moment to suggest that Nicole be a little easier on her mother. “It’s not easy for her right now,” he said gently.

Nicole scrunched up her nose as if to say it wasn’t easy for her either without her father.

“Ahem!”

Bob and Nicole looked up, guilty looks on their faces, to see Gwen towering over them with her hands on her hips. She gestured for Bob to follow her into the bedroom. 

“Be back in a minute,” Bob promised Nicole, lowering his head like a disobedient schoolboy.

“What did I tell you about coming over uninvited?” She stood over him, hands on her hips, demanding an answer. 

Clad in her bathrobe, with water droplets clinging to her hair and body, he had never seen her more lovely. “I, I, I came with notes for the play.”

“The play?”

Bob quickly pulled a script out of his briefcase. “You weren’t wrong when you said the cuts were too much, there’s not much left of the story.”

Gwen let out a low grown, covering her face with her hands and sinking onto the bed.

Bob sat next to her. “But I thought if I came by tomorrow and talked to Joe, he may be willing to put a few scenes back in.”

“Aren’t you busy in the rehearsal studio, and then you’re planning your televised concert with Liza…”

“I can spare a few hours,” he insisted, cutting her off. “I should have said ‘yes’ earlier.”

“You really should have,” Gwen scolded, a small smile creeping on her mouth. “You could have called with the news.”

“I wanted to see Nicole.” 

“She misses you. You should go join her in the living room. She wants someone to watch _The Partridge Family_ with.” Bob stood up. “I’m going to stay here and read your notes. I’m very grateful for them, and I’m sorry,” she finished quickly. “I was so startled I…”

Bob reached down and wiped a smear of soap off of her forehead. “You missed a spot.” They shared a small laugh. “You stay here and enjoy the rest of your night; I’ll see myself out after spending time with Nicole.”

Gwen acknowledged him with a small wave, flipping to page one of the script. Her heart felt lighter, but she wasn’t able to concentrate. “Room for one more?” Gwen called out from the doorway to her daughter and husband. For one night, there could be a break in the new routine; the reality would still be there in the morning.


End file.
